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Strasbourg, October 22 (MTI) – The European Parliament held a plenary debate late on Tuesday evening about the situation in Hungary regarding democracy, rule of law and human rights.

MEPs representing the Liberal group, the Social Democrats and the Greens raised questions concerning the independence of the judiciary, media freedom and, in connection with the latter, Hungary’s tax on advertisements. Steps taken against certain civil organisations were also the subject of a heated debate.

MEPs of the European People’s Party and other conservative representatives accused the left of mounting accusations against the Hungarian government in light of their successive defeats in Hungarian elections.

Tanjy Fajon, a Slovenian Social Democrat MEP, said she was sorry to see that the EP had once again been forced to deal with Hungary’s violation of European norms.

British conservative MEP Timothy Kirkhope said that no EU member state should have to listen to lectures given by the European Parliament.

The debate often turned to discussions concerning liberalism, liberal democracy, illiberalism and a Christian type of democracy.

Istvan Ujhelyi, an MEP delegated by the Hungarian Socialist Party, and Gyorgy Schopflin, a Fidesz MEP, also exchanged heated words, with Schopflin objecting to the Socialist referring to the “Orban regime” when Fidesz, far from being a regime, had won democratically held elections. Ujhelyi said the building of a structure of new powers justified use of the word “regime”.